His Hand In Mine
by oncerforlifeig
Summary: Just Regina and Henry as their relationship grows as mother and son.
1. Apple Picking

Henry was just five years old, all he knew was his mommy, Regina.

Everyday he woke up to kisses and a sweet smile, breakfast and a kiss goodbye as she went to work while he went to school.

When she picked him up, that was always the highlight of his day, running into her arms and getting a hug.

The weekends were always his favorite because he knew his mommy would be home all day and that meant spending time with her.

This saturday was a tad different though.

He woke up a few minutes earlier and quietly tiptoed into her room, slipping into bed with her and pulling her arm over him, cuddling next to her.

She opened one of her eyes to see her green-eyed son snuggled under her and she smiled, pulling him closer.

"Mommy?" He softly called out and she sighed happily.

"Yes my love?"

She opened both her eyes this time.

"What are gonna do today?"

Regina playfully tapped him on the nose, "I have something special planned for us. How does a picnic at the park sound?"

With a bright smile Henry sat up in the bed, "Really?!"

She nodded, "And we'll go apple picking as well."

She had him at picnic, he was so excited he ran to pick out his clothes although he still wasn't old enough to completely dress himself but he knew how to pick the right clothes.

Regina laughed to herself before getting up and standing in Henry's doorway, watching her baby boy so excited as he searched his perfect outfit.

As Henry laid his perfect outfit out on his bed, he turned to see his mother standing in the door, staring at him adoringly.

He slightly tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

She walked over and picked him up, kissing his forehead, "Nothing my little prince. You think you can get dressed by yourself today?"

He nodded, excitement all over his face.

She put him back down, "Good. I'll be downstairs when you get ready." She said as she left his room.

Henry quickly started getting dressed, he was eager to prove he was becoming a big boy.

He put his pants on first, taking his time as he buckled them and pulled his shirt over his head.

As he fixed his collar in the mirror, he smiled brightly, proud of himself.

He grabbed his shoes and ran downstairs to share this moment in history.

He noticed his mother standing in the kitchen fixing the picnic basket.

"Mommy look!" He exclaimed and she looked down at her son.

"You got dressed all by yourself! I'm so proud of you. You're getting to be a big boy, aren't you?" She tapped his nose as she smiled.

He giggled at her soft touch, "I am! Well, I'll be a big boy once I learn how to tie my shoes." His face dropped a bit.

Regina placed a hand on his shoulder, "How about later we sit down and mommy will teach you how to tie your shoes?"

He nodded in agreement, "Okay mommy. I'll go get my strap shoes."

He ran back upstairs and got his other shoes, knowing those were easier to use.

"Do I have to wear my hat?" He finished pulling the strap tightly on his shoe.

"Yes! Unless you want to catch a cold." She stated firmly with a 'you better do it or something bad will happen' look on her face.

He huffed and walked to the coat rack where his hat was and grabbed it, placing it in his pocket to use once they left the house.

"What time do we leave?" He asked as he stood at the door, waiting patiently.

Regina walked back into the living room with the basket in her hand, dressed and ready to go.

She smiled, "As soon as you put your jacket on then we can leave."

He quickly grabbed his jacket, it had slipped his mind that he hadn't put it on yet.

"Done." He exclaimed with a bright smile.

She walked over to him and ruffled his hair before grabbing her keys, "Let's go my little prince."

She took his hat out of his pocket and put it on his head.

His hand was in hers as they began walking to the Apple Orchard just a few blocks from their house.

As they were walking, Henry held tightly onto his mother's hand when he noticed a big dog ahead of them.

Regina immediately noticed something was wrong and looked down at Henry, "Sweetheart what's wrong?"

He looked up at her and then ahead.

She followed his eyes, "The dog? Are you scared of the dog?"

He slowly nodded and she stopped, "Oh honey it's okay. That's a big dog. Come here."

She picked him up in her arms and crossed the street, "There, you don't have to worry. The dog can't get you."

He flung his arms around her neck and sniffled a little, he was so small compared to the dog so it did frighten him.

"I love you mommy." He whispered as she let him down and kneeled to his height, grabbing both his hands, "I love you too Henry. And I'll always be here to protect you, never forget that. Okay?"

He nodded and a smile slowly formed on his lips.

She stood up straight and grabbed his hand again as they resumed walking.

When they finally arrived at the orchard, Henry's eyes widened with amazement.

So many trees, so many apples, he knew that he and his mother would have a wonderful time.

Regina let out a sigh of happiness, the whole day with her son, just how she liked it.

No paperwork, no calls, no conferences, just her, her son and apples.

Could life get any sweeter than this?

They walked around, trying to find the perfect spot to set up their picnic.

"Right there mommy, look." Henry pointed to a shady spot underneath a big tree filled with beautiful red apples.

"It's perfect." She grinned as she followed him to it.

Henry had always been so helpful so it wasn't a surprise when he began helping her lay the blanket on the ground and smoothen it out.

A butterfly started flying around them and landed on Henry's nose.

Regina giggled as she sat down on the blanket, grabbing a bottle of water from the basket.

Henry stayed perfectly still, admiring the beautiful butterfly.

He adored nature and his mother made sure he had an appreciation for all living things.

Finally the butterfly flew away and though he was sad to see it go, his mother pulled out one of his favorite things, an apple juice box.

He gasped playfully and happily took it, sitting down next to his mother underneath the tree.

"Thank you mommy." He sweetly said before indulging in the cold juice.

Cold apple juice was always his favorite, his mother knew it too.

It was how she would get him to take a nap as a toddler.

He would always resist taking a nap, as a matter of fact anytime he heard the word he would instantly tune up to cry.

So Regina had accidentally put a bottle of apple juice in the refrigerator and didn't have the time to fix another one so she gave him that bottle in hopes that it would soothe his tears.

Before now, he would cry himself to sleep and it hurt her heart to hear her son cry like that.

But once he began drinking that cold bottle, he stayed quiet the entire time and when he finished it he went right to sleep.

"Can I take an apple tree home?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

She chuckled, "I'm sorry Henry but we can't take these trees, they don't belong to us. They belong to the city. But, if you like, we can plant some apple seeds when we get home and you can have your very own tree like mommy. Would you like that?"

His smile was all the conformation she needed.

He nodded as he continued sipping his juice, his mother running her hands through his hair.

The sun was hiding behind clouds, allowing a nice breeze to blow through the quiet little town.

After a nice snack Regina grabbed two empty baskets and handed Henry one.

"Now, before we start I want you to be very careful picking apples. Remember-"

Henry took his basket, "Remember don't pick apples with worms, I know."

Regina smiled, "Because the last thing you want to do is bite into an apple and see a worm. Or worse..."

Henry tilted his head, "Worse?"

Regina bent down, "Half a worm."

She moved her index finger like a worm while tickling Henry, who was in a fit of giggles.

"Eww!" He yelled out through the laughter.

"You can go pick your apples now. Only the beautiful ones."

She ruffled his hair and he looked up at her, "Beautiful like you, got it."

Before she could say anything he had ran off to start picking apples.

She kept her eyes on him as she picked some apples herself, careful to ignore the green apples and the red bruised ones.

Henry would only pick the shiniest, big red apples.

He was determined to pick ones that were as beautiful as his mother.

Once Regina filled her basket she walked over to Henry who was trying to reach the most perfect apple he had ever seen but it was just an inch too high.

It caused a small smirk to appear on her lips as she watched him, her little prince.

He was all she needed in this world to truly be happy.

Henry hand't noticed his mom standing behind him and he was determined to grab this last apple.

Regina, without being seen by Henry, was able to quietly lower the branch just enough so that Henry could jump up and grab the apple.

"Got it!" He exclaimed.

He looked around for his mother but didn't see her, "Mom?"

She walked up behind him, placing a hand on his head, "Yes?"

He jumped a little and turned around, holding his full basket up to show her what he had accomplished, "Look mommy, all beautiful red apples. And this," he held up the perfect apple.

"I want to plant it so that it'll grow beautiful apples in our backyard."

She admired the apple then gave him a smile, "We'll plant it when we get home then."

He nodded and softly yawned.

Regina looked at her watch, it was mid afternoon and Henry usually took a nap around this time.

"I think we should get home so I can bake us some apple pie. Would you like that?"

He rubbed his eyes, "Can I have apple juice too?"

She lightly chuckled, "Of course you can my little prince. Come on, let's go home. It's nap time for a certain sleepy head."

Henry yawned again, "But I'm not sleepy..."

She shook her head, "Ah, but you are, otherwise you wouldn't be yawning."

Regina took Henry's hand as they walked to the area where you pay for the apples.

The worker bagged them and handed them back to Regina, who put them in the picnic basket.

She glanced down at Henry who was still rubbing his eyes, the sweet sight caused her to grin.

She picked him up and as he rested his head on her shoulder, she lightly kissed him.

When she made her way home, she dropped the basket by the door and continued upstairs to put Henry to bed, kissing his forehead before going back downstairs to bake.

When Henry finishes his nap, there would be apple pie and apple juice waiting for him.

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_**New story I plan on updating regularly along with the others now that summer has started. But please be patient with me, I do have other things to tend to in my life. Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chicken Pox

_**I appreciate you guys being patient. I'll be updating more often now.**_

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It was time for spring break and Regina knew Henry was excited for the different activities she had planned.

They were going to visit the zoo, go to the movies, eat out at different restaurants, visit the amusement park and lastly go to the water park's grand opening.

Friday afternoon Regina headed to Henry's school to pick him up, like any other day, and when the five year old came out of his classroom, he ran into her arms, "Hi mommy!"

She picked him up, hugging him back, "Hello sweetheart! How was your day?"

She carried him as they began walking home, "It was okay...I was really itchy."

She furrowed her brow at her son, "You were itchy? Where?"

He nodded and showed her his arm, "Here..." She gasped, "Oh Henry! You have chicken pox!"

Henry had heard about chicken pox before but he didn't know it would be this itchy.

He started scratching his other arm, "Chicken pox?"

She grabbed his arm to keep him from scratching, "Yes chicken pox. And please don't scratch it. We're almost home and I'll put some lotion on you that'll soothe the itching."

Henry sighed, it was hard not to scratch.

"Are we still going to the zoo tomorrow?"

Regina's face fell, she had to tell her son bad news and she didn't know how well he would take it.

"I'm sorry sweetheart but you're sick, you can't go outside because the chicken pox can be contagious."

Henry didn't like the sound of that, he wanted to have fun and laying in bed all day was not his definition of fun.

"But that's...that's not fair! How come you're not itchy?"

It broke her heart to hear him so upset, "I'm not itchy because I had chicken pox when I was a little girl. I know it isn't fair Henry but there isn't anything I can do about it."

He frowned, he didn't want to hear that.

He began growing angry, and in retaliation he tried to squirm out of her arms, "Let me go!"

He narrowed his eyes and Regina raised both her eyebrows, surprised at her son's behavior.

"No Henry, we need to get you home."

She held onto him tighter, he rarely had tantrums anymore but she knew how to efficiently handle them.

She stopped walking and looked Henry in the eyes as he continued to wiggle around, getting more frustrated by the minute.

"I want to get down! I don't want to go home!"

His eyes were glossed with tears, he was beginning to get tired of fighting.

His little body was no match for his mother's strength.

Regina took a deep breath and calmly spoke, "Henry. You know having these temper tantrums get you nowhere. If you want to get better then you have to go home."

He wasn't listening though, he continued to fight, determined to win even with the tears streaming down his face.

Eventually he became weak, realizing his mother wasn't going to give in to his demand and he gave up.

He stopped fighting and just rested his head on her shoulder, still softly crying.

She rubbed his back and he yawned, they walked up the pathway to the front door.

After sitting her purse down and hanging Henry's backpack on the hook, she carried him upstairs and ran him a warm bath, placing some uncooked oatmeal in the tub.

When he got in he noticed the tub felt different.

His hand reached into the water and grabbed a handful of oatmeal and he looked at it, "Why oatmeal?"

Regina chuckled, "It's to help with the itching dear. Let's get you nice and clean so I can put the lotion on you."

Henry nodded and let his mother help bathe him.

Once his bath was over and he put his pajamas on, Regina rubbed calamine lotion on his arms, legs, stomach and back.

He watched as he began to look pink, it made him giggle, "Look mommy, I'm the pink panther."

Regina smiled, "Indeed you are."

She kissed his forehead, "I want you to stay in bed, okay? I'll go make you some soup and bring it upstairs."

He did as he was told and climbed into bed, he loved Chicken Noodle soup.

Regina headed downstairs, she wondered how she could make this week fun for her son when he couldn't even leave the house.

This was going to be a challenge but she liked challenges.

After feeding Henry some soup and orange juice he quickly nodded off to sleep, just as his mother thought he would.

She was washing dishes downstairs with the television on in the background when a commercial caught her attention.

She finished drying a dish and walked over to the television, attentively listening.

It was about a certain toy and then she realized that it was something Henry had previously asked for but she had so much to do that day, she promised him she would get it later.

"That's it!" She exclaimed as she brightly smiled.

She had gotten an idea and she was sure this would cheer her little prince right up.

The next morning she had Graham come over, since he was immune to chicken pox as well, to keep an eye on Henry while she went out to get the things she needed.

Her first stop was the grocery store, she needed some apples, milk, sugar, and apple juice.

She quickly made her way to the toy store next and bought Henry the toy he asked for, a fairytale lego set.

Lastly, she made a quick stop at the arcade.

She had called ahead yesterday and asked the owner if he could recommend some video games that were suitable for a five, soon to be six, year old.

He told her that he had just the thing and that she could come pick them up the next day.

She paid and thanked him, "This should cheer my little one up."

When she got home she saw Graham sitting on the couch with Henry, "Hey you two."

She grinned and Henry looked up from the book he and Graham were reading, "Hi mommy."

Graham ruffled Henry's hair, "Alright buddy, we'll finish the story next time. I have to get back to patrolling the streets. Gotta make sure our town stays safe."

Regina walked him to the door, "Thanks again Graham."

He nodded, "Always happy to help, Madame Mayor."

She closed the door behind him and turned back to Henry, only to discover he had stretched out on the couch and fell asleep.

His soft snore filled the room and caused her to lovingly smile.

She walked over to him and placed a blanket on him, brushing his hair out of his face as she cooed over him.

While he slept she quietly made some apple pie and a small pot of macaroni and cheese, something else she knew would cheer him up.

She placed the few games and the box of legos on the coffee table in front of him and sat down on the couch next to him, drinking a cup of tea as she thumbed through a magazine.

He started whimpering in his sleep so she picked his head up and placed it on her lap, figuring that he must be having a nightmare.

As she rubbed his back, trying to soothe him, she softly hummed a sweet lullaby and he stayed still.

After an hour Henry stirred a little before he realized he was laying on his mother's lap, it was comfortable and he didn't want to move so he remained quiet when his mother asked if he was awake.

Regina knew her son was up and playing so she knew exactly what to do.

"I guess I'll just have to find another little boy who's actually awake to give these video games and lego set to."

His head shot up, "I'm awake!"

She softly chuckled and placed a hand on his cheek, "I knew you were."

He playfully huffed, "No fair. You always know."

She tapped his nose, "That's right. I'm your mother, I always know."

He climbed into her lap and rested his head on her chest, "Did you really buy me the lego set?"

He asked as he played with the necklace she was wearing, secretly listening to her heartbeat.

She wrapped her arms around him, "I did. It's right there in front of you."

He could feel the vibrations as she spoke so it took him a minute to register what she said.

He glanced at the coffee table and the smile on his face was all the confirmation she needed.

"Thank you mommy!" He hugged her.

"You're very welcome Henry." she kissed his head. "There's also mac n cheese in the kitchen. I figured you'd be hungry after a long nap."

This day couldn't get any better, Henry was excited which made Regina happy that she could make him excited.

"Will you play with me?" He asked in a soft voice and she brightly smiled, "Of course I will. But what do you say we eat first?"

He happily nodded.

She stood up and Henry reached for her hand, "I smell apple pie!"

He exclaimed as she led him into the kitchen, "Why, yes you do. That's for after you eat dinner though. We don't want you to spoil your appetite."

As she fixed their plates, Henry ran upstairs.

Regina raised her eyebrow, curious as to where he might have went, but she figured he went to wash his hands.

She hadn't noticed when he came back into the kitchen with something behind his back.

"Mommy?"

She turned around, "There you are Henry. Come on, let's go eat."

He followed her into the dining room and when she sat the plates down he waited for her to sit down, "I have something for you."

She grinned, "Oh, do you?"

He pulled a piece of paper from behind his back and handed it to her.

It was a drawing of a flower with the caption 'a beautiful flower for my beautiful mommy'.

"Oh Henry, it's beautiful. Thank you so much sweetheart."

She kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair.

While they ate she kept thinking about the sweet gesture her son made, it melted her heart when she thought about how much Henry loved her and how much she loved him.

She quickly wiped the tear she felt fall from her eye, she didn't want Henry thinking there was something wrong.

Truth is, everything was perfect. In that moment, she wished time would stop, she wanted to stay in that moment forever.

Once they finished, Henry helped clear the table and as Regina hung Henry's drawing on the refrigerator washed the dishes, Henry had ran back into the living room to admire his new stuff.

His mother walked in and saw him setting his video game up and changing the channel on the television.

"Ready to play mom?" He happily asked and she grinned.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Even though I have no clue as to how you play this contraption."

Henry giggled, "I'll show you. Here, sit down."

He patted the seat next to him and when she sat down he handed her the controller.

"You use this to run and this to burst through the boxes." He instructed as he showed her how to play Crash Bandicoot.

Regina listened attentively and when she started playing, it was as if she had stepped back into her childhood.

She was having plenty of fun and Henry just smiled and laughed as he watched his mother relax and have fun.

They played for about an hour or so then Regina suggested they play with the legos for awhile and of course Henry didn't disagree.

The first thing they built was a castle, "Should we have a drawbridge?" Regina asked and Henry pondered for a moment.

"What would we be trying to keep out?"

She pulled out a little figurine from the box, "A nasty troll."

She made a growling sound and they both giggled.

"The young prince isn't afraid of any nasty troll. He'll protect the queen and the castle."

Henry pulled out the Prince figurine and placed him at the castle gates.

"Ah but the Queen doesn't want her young prince to get hurt so she'll place a protection spell around them so no evil can get in."

She said as she placed the Queen figurine at the top of the castle.

"That's a good idea mom. Now the Queen and Prince can be safe and happy."

She grinned, "That's all the Queen ever wanted."

They continued building a village and added little townspeople, livestock, and had a good time.

They talked about different things and all the while, Henry hadn't scratched one bit.

He was slowly getting better, maybe they would be able to make it to the water park opening after all.

Regina had stretched out on the couch while Henry started putting stuff away.

When he heard soft snoring he looked around and saw his mother asleep on her side.

He grabbed a blanket and pulled it over her, crawling up beside her and wrapping her arm around him.

She felt the sudden body heat and peeked through one eye to see Henry and kissed his head.

"Mommy?" She sighed happily, "Hm?"

Henry grabbed the hand that was around him, "Thank you for making me feel better. I love you."

She rubbed circles on his stomach, "Anything for my little prince. I love you too, Henry. So much."

They both eventually fell asleep, but together, after a long day of spending time with one another.


	3. Thunder Storms

"Mommy?" Little Henry called out as he stood as the side of Regina's bed where she was laying on her stomach, her face buried into her soft pillow. There was a muffled "Huh?" which caused Henry to tilt his head. He didn't know if that was his mother talking in her sleep or talking to him. He was standing there with his Batman pajamas on and his stuffed lion in his hands. The thunderstorm had woken him and the flashes lightning scared him. It would scare any six year old but Henry figured big boys shouldn't be afraid. "Mommy..." He softly called out again, this time pushing his hand down on the mattress, trying to cause his mother to feel the shift of weight in the bed.

She groggily lifted her head, it was dark so she could barely see the little black blob that was actually Henry. "Henry?" Her voice was a bit raspy. She turned the lamp on that was sitting on her nightstand and sat up in her bed. "Sweet heart what's wrong?" He looked down, ashamed of the answer he was about to give. "The thun-" just as he was about to answer there was another flash of lightning followed by a strong clasp of thunder that rattled the house. Henry quickly jumped into bed with his mother, crawling into her lap and laying his head on her as tears fell from his brown eyes. Regina knew what the problem was, "Oh Henry," She placed one hand on his head while the other wiped his tears. "it's okay to be afraid. Thunderstorms sometimes scare mommy too."

She gave a small grin as she tilted her head so that their eyes met. He raised an eyebrow, "They do?" He was intrigued by this new information. She nodded, "Mhm. When I was a little girl and it would thunderstorm, I used to run into my parents' room and get into bed with them. My mother used to rub my back and sing a soft song." Now Regina knew very well that her mother wasn't that comforting but she wanted Henry to realize that it was perfectly okay to be afraid. And that it was okay to confide in her, that was her job as his mother to comfort him in his time of need. Another flash of lighting made Henry's eyes widen as the entire room lit up, that's how big the bolt was, and when the thunder roared, he flinched and grabbed onto his mother. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, letting him know she had no plans to let him go. When she heard him whimper, she kissed his forehead, "Sssh, it's okay Henry. Mommy is right here."

Henry had his eyes shut tight as he held on to his mother. She pulled the covers up over him as she continued to cradle him in her arms, keeping her head at an angle so she could see his face. "Henry..." She said sweetly, trying to get him to open his eyes. He peeked through one of them, "Huh?" His mother giggled, "It's okay to open your eyes now." It was a little after two in the morning and she knew they both needed sleep.

"Do you want to stay in here with me?" She already knew the answer but she asked anyway. When he gave her a slight nod, she smiled and kissed his cheek before placing him beside her on the bed. As she laid back down next to him, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close so the he could feel that she was still there. It continued to storm throughout the night and into the morning. It was seven in the morning and the sun wasn't even out, that's how bad the storm was. But Henry was able to sleep soundly the rest of the night. Regina's alarm clock went off at 7:15 like it does every morning but when she went to turn the light switch on, the lights didn't switch on. "Oh this is just great." She said to herself as she huffed, walking into her closet to pick out today's outfit.

The power was off and there was no telling as to how long it had been off. People were going to begin calling in and complaining soon and she needed to be ready to keep everything under control. If her power was off that meant everyone else's was off too. Which means Henry wasn't going to school today. She glanced back at him and saw him still in bed, cuddling his lion, and she just smiled, cherishing this small moment. It was time to put her game face on, her town needed her. She went in her bathroom to take a shower, lighting the room with a candle. As she showered, Henry still slept but began to toss and turn. The thunder continued roaring but whatever he was dreaming about was distracting him from it.

When she stepped out of the shower, Henry wasn't in the bed anymore. She was dressed in one of her simple black dresses and she slipped into her house shoes. "Henry?" She called out but didn't get an answer. She stepped out into the hall and called his name again, beginning to grow worried when she didn't hear her son reply. He wasn't in his room or in the bathroom. "Where on earth could he be?" She asked herself, deciding that maybe he was downstairs.

When she got down there though, he was still nowhere to be found. "This is so strange." As she left every room, she placed a lit candle in them so that if he were to walk into one, it wouldn't be completely dark. "Henry, where are you?" She called out a little louder this time, becoming frustrated. She needed to begin working but she wanted to make sure her little prince was okay first. All the while, lightning was still flashing so she figured it must have startled him again. Just then she heard a rattling sound coming from the kitchen. She slowly walked in but didn't see him. Then there was the rattling noise again, coming from the kitchen closet. When she opened the door, she saw Henry sitting on the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees that he had tucked up to his chest.

He was softly crying, she thought it was because of the storm but it was more than that. She didn't know it but Henry had seen someone get struck by lightning a few weeks ago and he was terrified of being just like that person. She reached down and picked him up, "Honey, what's wrong? This is more that just the storm. This is the first time you've acted like this." He rested his head on her shoulder, too upset to talk at the moment. She just sighed and rubbed his back as she carried him into her office. After placing him on the couch, she went behind her desk and sat down, preparing herself to make a bunch of phone calls. "Now Henry, I want you to be a good boy while I handle some business okay? After I finish this then we can get you cleaned up and go out for breakfast."

He stayed quiet, nodding as he sniffled. It pained her to see him act like this, she wanted to understand what was wrong because if she could fix it, then she wouldn't hesitate to do so. She began making her phone calls, letting the power company know they needed to begin trying to get the electricity back up and running. She called Graham next, instructing him to patrol the streets and make sure people stayed inside, it was much too dangerous for them to be out and about.

While his mother made phone calls, Henry sat quietly, his mind dwelling on the nightmare he had. His nightmare was about him and his mother out for a walk when she was struck by lightning right in front of his eyes and he lost her forever. That was one of his worst fears, he didn't know what he would do without his mother, he loved her too much. But he didn't want her to know, he didn't want her to worry about him.

He was determined to try and overcome this on his own. Every so often Regina would glance up from what she was doing to make sure he was okay. An hour passed and after countless phone calls with citizens, the power was finally turned back on. She smiled when the lights turned on, hoping it might cheer up Henry but it was as if he hadn't even noticed. She stood up, walking over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Henry, please tell me what's wrong." She sat down and as soon as she did, he flung his arms around her. She gasped, confused as to what caused this unexpected gesture but she wrapped her arms around him as well. "I don't want to lose you mommy!"

She furrowed her brow and let out a small chuckle, "Henry, that's nonsense. You won't lose me, I'm not going anywhere." He sniffled, "In my dream you were struck by lightning." He was trying so hard to deal with the issue on his own but he couldn't help it. Plus he knew that eventually he was going to have to tell his mother and he didn't want to lie. Regina caressed his head, "Is that what had you so frightened?" Henry nodded, a small yawn escaping his lips. "The chance of that happening to me is one in a million, dear. Trust me, I'll be just fine. And if something were to ever happen to me, I will always be with you. Right there..."

She placed a hand over his heart and he looked down at her hand, covering it with one of his. "You promise?" He looked up at her with hope in his eyes. Regina saw that look in his eyes, she saw the hope, the belief and the faith. "I promise." She smiled brightly, kissing her son on the forehead. "I love you mommy." She stood up, bringing him into her arms, "I love you too, my little knight in shining armor." She took him upstairs to get cleaned up so they could head to Granny's for some pancakes and possibly spend the day watching movies at home while eating popcorn and drinking apple juice.


	4. A Sweet Tooth

_**So I forgot to mention that this is an AU with no curse and no magic, just little scenarios **_**_throughout Regina and Henry's life._**

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"Grr!" Henry grumbled as he fought relentlessly with the bow tie around his neck.

He was determined to win this war he was having.

Regina was getting dressed in her room as well, there was a big gala that she had to attend and the people were kind enough to invite the Henry as well.

Regina politely declined Henry's invitation for him but they insisted since there would be other kids there too, they figured he would be alright.

She reluctantly agreed and now here they were, both would rather be staying home but they had to at least make an appearance.

Henry had on a black suit with black dress shoes and a dark red bow tie while his mother had on a black dress with black heels.

She finished dressing first, of course, and she sat down at her vanity to make sure her makeup was perfect.

Red lipstick, just a small amount of mascara and teasing the hair a little.

"Perfect."

She smiled at her reflection and stood up, grabbing her clutch and turning her light off.

"Henry?" She called out as she walked down the hall.

Henry was too focused on that dumb bow tie that he didn't hear his mother calling him.

She stood in his doorway and softly laughed when she saw her little prince.

"Honey, what are you doing?" She asked as she walked over to him and sat on the edge of his bed.

Henry was standing in front of his mirror, "I can't get this stupid thing to fit!"

He huffed, throwing his arms down to his sides and turning around to his mother with a sad expression.

She just held her arms out for her son to come rest in them.

"Come here..."

With his head hung low, he walked into his mother's arms and she picked him up, sitting him in her lap.

"I was trying really hard mommy."

She kissed his cheek, "I know you were sweetheart. Those things can be very tricky. Would you like me to help you?"

Henry nodded, upset that he was defeated but relieved that he finally had some help.

She began fixing his bow tie, tying it within a few seconds.

She tilted her head to look her son in the face, "All finished. You just needed mommy's help."

Henry scrunched up his nose, he wanted to be upset but he was relieved that the battle was over.

With his mother's help he was able to win, he secretly cursed the wretched bow tie as he hopped down from his mother's lap smiling.

"Thank you very much." He grinned.

Regina rose, straightening her dress, "Ready to go?"

She asked as she fixed his hair.

"Yes. Will I get to eat candy?" He flashed a smile and gave his best version of puppy dog eyes.

"You know the rule Henry, no candy whatsoever. It rots your teeth." She replied firmly, but returning the smile.

"Okay..." He sighed and took his mother's hand as she led him downstairs.

As Regina put Henry in the car the sun was just beginning to set, "Look mommy, the sun is saying goodnight."

She looked up at the beautiful sight, "Yes it is. Pretty soon it'll be time for you to say goodnight as well."

She kissed his cheek as she closed the back door and got in the driver's seat.

The car ride was pretty silent except for the music that filled the car.

_The Wiggles. _

Oh how she wished her lovable son would find something else to listen to.

She resented whoever it was that put that blasted group together and she wanted to strangle whoever it was that was bold enough to give them a television show.

But if it made Henry happy, she'd suffer through it.

For now at least.

After about a fifteen minute drive, they pulled up to the banquet hall and Regina was relieved she didn't have to hear _The Wiggles_ anymore.

She wasted no time shutting the radio off when she parked, "Alright sweetheart. Remember to be on your best behavior. Make mommy proud, okay?"

She opened the back door and Henry hopped out.

"I'll be a little prince." He smiled so brightly that it almost melted her heart.

She'd curse the day when Henry would get a girlfriend and she would have to share that smile with another woman.

"That's my boy." She patted his head before grabbing his hand as they walked inside.

The gala had about three hundred attendees, Henry had never seen so many people at a party.

Kids were running around playing while the adults were huddled in different groups talking and laughing.

This was a lot for Henry to take in at one time, Regina on the other hand was used to it.

She felt like these people were pretending to be someone they weren't and that didn't sit well with her.

So instead of forming friendships, she just kept them all at the level of acquaintance.

Henry gripped his mother's hand tightly as they walked toward a group of people and Regina quickly graced them with a smile, "Good evening Madame Mayor."

A man greeted her with a bow.

"And this must be Henry."

He gave Henry, who was hiding halfway behind his mother and still holding her hand, a playful wink before he stood up straight.

"Good evening Jonathan."

She took the hand that her son was clutching onto for dear life, after managing to break free from his grip, and pulled him out in front of her.

"Say hello to Mister Anderson, Henry."

He was so shy that it was actually adorable.

Henry's eyes stayed on the floor where he could see the reflection of himself in his shoes, "Hi Mister Anderson." He greeted quietly.

He heard a small chuckle, Jonathan reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin.

"Do you like magic tricks Henry?"

He glanced at Regina before looking back down at Henry, she took this moment to go mingle around and let the people know she had arrived.

Henry's face lifted from the floor and he gave a slight grin, "Yeah."

Jonathan crouched down to meet Henry at eye level, "Alright, I'm going to show you a little trick."

He had Henry's undivided attention and after making the coin disappear in his hand and reappear from behind Henry's ear, he had earned a smile along with an applause.

"That's so neat!"

Jonathan placed the coin in Henry's hand, "Here, you keep it. And anytime you feel nervous, just think about the coin and the magic that lives within it, okay?"

Henry happily took the coin and nodded, "Thank you Mister Anderson!"

Jonathan smiled, "You're very welcome Henry. Now why don't you go off and play with the other kids. I'm sure they'd love your company."

Henry walked off and found a few kids he went to school with and they started playing.

The whole while Regina had made sure to keep an eye on Henry and she saw the kind gesture Jonathan did to make Henry more comfortable.

She often wondered if she was being unfair to her son by not providing him with a father or even a father figure.

Would it be wrong to put herself out there to try and find love again?

At least for Henry's sake, maybe she should give it a try soon.

But she was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when more people walked up to her and started a conversation.

Henry on the other hand was actually having fun with his friends Michael and Oliver, twin brothers who were always up to no good.

"Come on Henry, we're going to go get some of the chocolate on that table."

Oliver said as he and Michael hopped down from their chairs but Henry remained in his.

"I can't. My mom said I can't have candy." Henry replied, a bit saddened that he had to admit that.

Michael giggled, "Our mom said we couldn't have candy either. But it's chocolate, not candy."

Henry furrowed his brow, "What?"

The twins faced Henry and Oliver smirked, "Think about it. Chocolate is called chocolate for a reason. It isn't called candy. Therefore, we can have chocolate."

"So come on, we're only eight once!" Michael waved his hand, signaling Henry to follow them.

Henry knew deep down that his friends were wrong but he really wanted to know what chocolate tasted like, he had to constantly hear about it from the kids at school and this was his chance to find out what all the excitement was about.

He hopped down from his chair and followed them, hoping he wouldn't regret this choice.

The table that the twins were referring to, with all the chocolate on it, was off limits to kids and they knew it was, yet the temptation was eating them alive.

They just HAD to have one little taste.

The three of them moved around with the stealth of a turtle but in their heads they thought they were being sneaky.

No one seemed to notice when they slipped under the table with the chocolate.

"We made it!" Michael cheered and Henry was relieved that his mother hadn't seen him.

"Henry, you go up there and get us some chocolate."

Oliver instructed and Henry took a deep breath before he quickly stood up and grabbed three pieces of chocolate.

He looked all around to make sure his mother wasn't in the area and went back under the table.

"Got it!"

He handed each twin a piece and when he took his first bite, it was as if he was seeing the world for the first time.

The way the sweet chocolate melted in his mouth only made him want more and he didn't notice the small smudge of chocolate on his face when he got back up to grab more chocolate from the table.

Only this time when he came from under the table, he first saw a pair of black high heeled shoes tapping on the tiled floor, then as his eyes continued panning upward, he eventually saw two arms that were crossed and finally two familiar eyes staring down at him.

In that moment he knew he had messed up, "Henry Christopher Mills…" Regina stated firmly through her teeth.

She had seen him when he grabbed his first piece of chocolate and she immediately excused herself from the conversation that was at hand to go confront her child.

"Uh oh." Was all Henry could say, it was really all he could think about as well.

His eyes drifted back down, "Look at me." His mother instructed.

He knew he'd regret it but he looked up at her.

"I'm sorry…" He softly replied and his mother sighed.

"Come on, we're going home." She said as he grabbed a napkin off the table and wiped the chocolate off his face.

They had been at the party for about two hours and Regina was getting tired of talking to all these people.

All she wanted to do was sit down on her couch with a nice glass of wine while sooting music played in the background but now she needed to have a talk with her son before any relaxing could be done.

She grabbed his hand and led him out of the party, all that ran through Henry's mind was what his mother was going to say to him.

The drive home was completely quiet, no _Wiggles_, no scolding, just silence.

When they walked in the door, Regina let out a deep sigh, "Go change and get into bed."

She rubbed her forehead as she placed her purse down on the kitchen counter.

"But mom-"

"Now Henry." She didn't yell, she was too tired to yell.

During the car ride home she decided she would be better suited to handle this in the morning, she didn't want to take her stress out on her son.

Henry obeyed and went upstairs to get ready for bed.

He felt bad that his mother was upset, but it made him feel worse when he realized he was the cause of it.

While he changed into his pajamas, Regina had taken her heels off, poured herself some wine, and was sitting on the couch listening to soft jazz music.

She kept the volume down so she wouldn't disturb Henry and as she sipped her wine, she reflected on the night.

Henry having a father was all the raced through her mind.

Would he still disobey her if there was a man around to help discipline?

After Henry put on his cozy pajamas, sleeping was the last thing on his mind.

He didn't like knowing his mother was upset with him so he quietly stood at the top of the stairs, peeking to see what his mother was doing.

By now he knew that whenever she was listening to music, she was relaxing and he figured now was a good a time as any to try and truly apologize.

He slowly made his way downstairs, his mother had her eyes closed as she rested her head on the couch.

"Mommy." Henry called out and her eyes slowly opened.

"Henry? I told you to go to bed."

Henry stood where he was, twiddling with his thumbs.

"I know but I wanted to talk to you."

Regina patted the seat next to her, "Come here."

With his head hung a bit low, he went and sat next to her.

"I'm really sorry I disobeyed you. I don't like it when I upset you."

Regina was proud that Henry apologized on his own, it meant she had taught him right.

She wrapped an arm around him, "Henry, when I tell you not to do something, it's not because I'm being mean. It's because I'm trying to do what's best for you. That's my job as your mother and candy isn't good for you. It isn't healthy whatsoever. Even the sugar free candy, all of it is horrible for your teeth. It'll cause them to rot and fall out."

Henry touched his teeth, the thought of not having teeth mortified him.

"I promise I won't disobey you again. I want you to be proud of me, I don't want you to be sad."

He rested his head on her.

She ran her hand through his hair, "Oh sweetheart, you could never make me sad. I know you're my little prince and you can only make me proud."

"I love you mommy." He said with a faint yawn.

Regina smiled, "I love you too."

Within a few minutes she heard snoring and looked down to see Henry asleep.

She giggled to herself before picking her son up and when she did, he wrapped his arms around her neck as she carried him upstairs.

Her little prince was growing up and making her proud every day.

As she laid him in his bed and pulled the covers up over him, she couldn't help but smile the entire time.

She was raising Henry just fine without a father in his life, the fact that he had a conscience meant something.

She knew he had goodness in his heart and she was doing a good job.

She leaned down and kissed his forehead before turning his lamp off.

She knew Henry would grow up to be someone great, he was proving that to her every day.


End file.
